Doing Something Very Right: Gus Bates Insurance

If you’ve been in business for over 50 years, you’re doing something very right. Especially in a little big town like Fort Worth where everybody knows everybody and your reputation is everything. The secret to success and longevity according to the Gus Bates Insurance & Investments way of doing business is twofold: take great care of your customers and impact the community in positive ways.

Photo courtesy of Gus Bates Insurance & Investments

Look, I know insurance isn’t the most exciting blog topic. However, this post isn’t really about insurance; it’s about people. It’s about really good people who care about what they do, who they do it for, and the community they live in.

You have to insure your car, your home, and your health. If you’re smart, you also insure your valuable possessions. Some think of insurance as a necessary evil, but that’s a cynical view. While insurance may not be your favorite monthly payment to make, think about how it protects your favorite things. Now, don’t you think it would be nice to have a team of professionals also thinking about your favorite things and how best to protect them?

That’s exactly what the dedicated folks at Gus Bates do all day, every day. They get to know their clients by really listening to them. They genuinely want to understand the client’s needs and help find solutions to address them. Also, because they really know their stuff, they likely understand those needs better than the client does.

Photo courtesy of Gus Bates Insurance & Investments

They can help you with everything that might at some point require an insurance claim. They can cover your automobiles and your home and your possessions. By the way, if you have art, firearm, jewelry, or other valuables or collections, you really need to consider insuring them beyond what your homeowner’s policy will cover. There are too many heartbreaking horror stories, my friends!

If you own a business, you know the value of being able to one-stop shop, but when you can one-stop shop for your personal and business needs, that’s even better. Gus Bates provides commercial property and casualty coverage, as well as employee benefits along with everything else they offer.

In addition to helping their clients, Gus Bates believes in helping their community. Most companies perform charitable giving at some level. They usually pick an organization they like or whose values align with their own and dedicate a certain amount of time and/or money to helping that organization achieve their goals. A quick check of the Gus Bates website shows they contribute to 29 charitable organizations. TWENTY-NINE! This is a company of roughly 55 to 60 people, and they give their time and money to 29 charities. That’s astounding! Gus Bates is a relatively small company with a very big heart.

Photo courtesy of Gus Bates Insurance & Investments

Started in 1967 by Gus Bates III, Gus Bates Insurance & Investments celebrated their 50th anniversary last year. The company has grown a lot under the leadership of Gus’s son, Gus. I suspect if they keep doing what they’ve always done, Gus III’s grandchildren and great grandchildren will be celebrating the 100th anniversary in 2067.